Gamers Petition Against Discord Ban in UAE

A petition is gaining momentum as the UAE government continues to ban VOIP services like Discord and Teamspeak.

By
Mufaddal Fakhruddin

Earlier this year, the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) in the UAE banned Discord and Teamspeak, two popular online communication services for gamers, as part of its framework to disallow VOIP services in the region. Now, in an attempt to oppose the decision, a petition has been created on Change.org requesting the TRA to lift the ban and allow access to the applications.

“As we all know, Teamspeak3 and Discord voIP [sic] services have been blocked by Etisalat as per the rules of TRA,” reads the petition letter. “They have not given us answers as we ask over and over again. We went to file complaints to the TRA and they have not done anything in return. Thus, this petition was made to show that we, as a collective community of communities, need these applications as they bring us together as a whole.”

The petition is around 145 signatures short of its goal of 500 signatures.

Applications like Discord had become an integral part of online gaming in the region, as it not only helped gamers to organize online matches with other players, but also stay in touch friends across the UAE and abroad.

“These platforms help me stay connected with my friends, whom I consider my family, back in the UAE. Without it, it’s like we’ve lost touch with one another,” says Sage Senoron on the petition page. “Programs such as discord and teamspeak is what helps us stay connected, whether it be us watching a movie all together [sic], sharing good times, or even just playing video games online together, no matter where we are in the world.”

Another aspect of the ban is its overall effect on the Esports scene in the region, which is just growing in popularity. With no access to Discord and Teamspeak, it becomes increasingly hard for teams to organize and practice for tournaments, as well as communicate effectively during matches.

Right now, the only way to access these applications is to use VPN, which is considered against the law in the UAE.

There is no guarantee if the petition will get the TRA to overturn their decision but here’s hoping that it at least gets their attention.